


If Only

by serenesavagery (windrunnerdreamer)



Category: Aveyond
Genre: Angst, Doubt, F/M, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Reunions, Tragic Romance, last four are only mentioned - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-26
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:41:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23781772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/windrunnerdreamer/pseuds/serenesavagery
Summary: Too late, Devin realizes, as he imagines Talia bows her head with resignation and accepts the position of the Dreamer.He won't ever see Talia again, he realizes.The thought tears him apart.And then, how glad he was, when proved wrong, even though he had to lose nearly everything in order to be wrong.
Relationships: Talia Maurva/Devin Pendragon
Comments: 9
Kudos: 5





	If Only

**Author's Note:**

> Do work with the assumption that the in-game romance in Ahriman's Prophecy is suspended to after the game?

If anything, Devin loved Alicia. Truly. 

Devin did. Otherwise, he wouldn't have thought of marrying her. 

_Then why did you wait until after Talia left?_ A niggling voice haunts him, every time he thinks how beautiful Alicia is. 

_Why do you still think of wanting to see Talia?_

When answering that particular question with the fact that she was his friend, his very best friend, the voice only mocked him. 

_Yes. That is why you're happy, aren't you?_

Devin can't answer that question, no matter how hard he struggles for an answer. 

* * *

When Talia makes the decision to become the Dreamer, Devin is the first to hear it and he is the first one to feel agony at how _wrong_ this is. 

"Are you sure?" He can only whisper out, when they meet up in Thais, three months after their battle with Ahriman. 

Talia's eyes, so full of a familiar fire, are now solemn and filled with sadness and regret. 

But they show him that her mind is made up, he thinks slowly, and he cannot believe it. 

"Yes. It's not like...It's not like I have anything left to do, Devin." Talia says, smiling but the smile does not reach her eyes. 

He can't blame her; her grandmother was now dead, died peacefully in her sleep, and Talia was never particularly close with either of her parents anyway. 

_You have me,_ he wants to say.

But does she? 

And it is that question that stops him from protesting, and he only can nod and face away. 

"I...wish you the very best, then, Talia." Devin can only manage out, smiling back, but the smile feels so hollow that he wants to cut it off himself. 

Talia blinks, clearly not having expected this. But what she was expecting, he did not know. 

The relief tinged with sorrow, in her beautiful, beautiful eyes, only crushes him more and stings his eyes. 

"Thank you, old friend." She says, voice soft. 

Devin pats her back. "Well, what kind of friend would I be if I did not support you?" 

Talia smiles, and it is heavy. "You always were my best friend."

Devin is not sure, if he feels willing to shed tears, or anger. 

* * *

Talia is leaving him. 

He's not going to be able to find her anywhere in this world, no matter how far he traveled and where he went. 

All he is going to be able to see of her is the Dreamer's Temple. 

And he allows the blood to seep out of his fists, at that knowledge. 

* * *

Surprisingly, it is Jack of all the people, who gives him the answer to his questions. 

It turns out, the little rat has no qualms of thieving people he knows- in fact, it is all the better for him and it is such that Devin finds his sack of gold coins while at the tavern, empty. 

He turns, and sees Jack slinking off to the door, and smirking while he sneaks away. 

"Not so fast, you little thief." Devin calls out, tired. 

Jack stiffens and smiles innocently at Devin, arms spread wide. "Well, if it ain't one of my buddies-"

"Oh, stop it, You and I both know exactly why I have no money at the moment." Devin snaps, pulling the little idiot by the ear. 

Jack shrieks with pain but by now, the whole of Thais knows that the seemingly innocent child Devin is holding up is nothing but a demon in disguise, so no one bothers to berate Devin for mishandling a child. 

"I've seen you bear much more than me pulling on your ear. Stop with the theatrics." Devin says simply, and Jack stops shrieking, rolling his eyes. 

"Well. Not my fault you're moanin' over your lost girl like a loser, now. Thought I could get away with it too, way you were moonin' an' all, figured you wouldn't notice a damn thing." Jack grumbled, and Devin lets go of Jack like he's burned. 

" _What did you just say_?" Devin hisses and the flashing of his eyes should have been a warning to Jack and perhaps it is, because the child pales. 

"Uh. Nothin'. Nothin' at all!" Jack whimpers, raising his hands. 

"It better be." Devin says, angrily. 

Still, he cannot shake away the truth of Jack's words, crassly said as they were. 

The other boys at the smithy would laugh at him. 

Things were easier when he had been a blacksmith apprentice. 

So much easier...and then he had followed Talia. 

Why had he done so? Honor, obviously. 

But...there had been something more to it. 

Obviously there had been. 

And Devin is not ready to face it. 

* * *

The last time he sees Talia is when the Oracle informs them that Ahriman is in fact, not dead. 

Devin is angered- after everything they had gone through, after every nightmare, after every near death....

Had it all been for vain? 

Not vain, the Oracle reassures them, for Ahriman was at least delayed from stopping the world. 

But from Talia's darkened eyes, he knows his thoughts are not alone. 

"Talia?" He calls, as they leave Aveyond. 

Talia turns back to look at him, hunched up and defensive. 

Devin blinks. "Talia?" He asks, voice softer. 

"Say it, Devin. Say it that I have led you on a fool's quest." Talia says, the wind blowing past them furiously for that second. 

Devin blinks again. "That was not what I was about to say at all, Talia." He says, shaking his head. 

Talia looks confused before facing away. "Yet, I have. I have led you on a fool's errand. I have risked your life. I have seen you die more times than I can count. And-" 

Devin does not know where he gets the courage to do so, but he grabs her shoulders, ignoring her grunt of surprise and forces Talia to look at him. 

"Talia, look at me." He pleads. 

Talia does not and Devin sighs. 

"Talia, please look at me." Devin says, softly. 

Talia looks up at him, and how had he not noticed how beautiful her eyes were? 

(He had always noticed. But he had been too much of a coward to admit it to himself.)

"Talia, you did not lead me on a fool's quest. You've changed my life. You've made me realize things I hadn't known I was capable of. The person I am today, I owe that to you, old friend." Devin says, gently, cupping her cheeks. 

Talia's eyes are wide and it feels like an eternity before she speaks. 

"Devin, I..." 

"No. Don't blame yourself. By Aia, Talia. Do not do that." Devin says, not taking his eyes off her. 

Talia swallows and she is so vulnerable, so vulnerable, something Devin hasn't seen in a long time and it frightens him. 

They are so close. He could just...

_No. She's distressed, you moron. Be a friend and listen to her!_

"Truly?" Talia whispers. 

"Always." Devin whispers back. 

Talia smiles hesitantly and Devin smiles back, ignoring his entrails twisting. 

"Thank you." She says, softly. 

"Anytime." Devin says, feeling the moment disappear and thus taking his hands off her.

He has seen her. Touched her. Spoken to her. 

And it will be the last. 

* * *

He sees her again. After an eternity. 

It seems like an eternity, for Devin has lost nearly everything and is being accosted by a strangely familiar girl, a sorceror who is entirely too haughty for his own good and a rather intimidating demon summoner. 

His hands are shaking when Rhen tells him they are to go for Aveyond. 

For he knows. 

* * *

"Talia?" Devin croaks out, licking his lips. 

She has changed, strangely, looking far more mature and worn than she should be. 

But still so very beautiful. 

"Hello, old friend." She says, with a tremulous smile and the world Ahriman has stolen from him is replaced by a smaller one. 

One that is as bright as the sincerity in his friend's smile.

And Devin thinks, for the first time in sixteen years that he will be all right. 

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> So, I saw the demo for the Ahriman's Prophecy reboot and I got super super emotional. This game is how my sister and I first bonded, and now I love it- despite my current situation in which I now lack my own laptop or PC to play the game, LMAO.


End file.
